Courtyard House: Drunk and barging into the Xu family's house, I woke up numb.

There is no need to hold a feast on the first and second day after someone passes away; just a simple large pot of stew will suffice.

The real feast was the meal on the third day before the funeral procession, which was when He Daqing finally showcased his culinary skills.

The other day it was cabbage, tofu and glass noodles, stewed with lard and meat scraps, which was pretty good. In the end, each person got two steamed buns made with two kinds of dough.

As for meat dishes, they will be served on the third day, because both weddings and funerals require a lot of meat.

This quantity is far beyond what can be achieved through individual quotas, so an application needs to be submitted to the local street office.

The neighborhood committee would also allocate special meat coupons and special grain coupons according to the population ratio.

He Daqing's feelings are quite complicated right now. He felt a little regretful after learning about the passing of the deaf old lady "883" yesterday.

He felt guilty because he felt that if he hadn't reported the deaf old lady, she wouldn't have died in the district.

But when he learned last night that the deaf old lady had come back to life, although he was shocked and incredulous, he was indeed happy for her.

Regardless, he survived, and the weight on his heart was finally lifted.

But today, in just half a day, the deaf old woman was carried back again; she had died again.

This time, He Daqing felt less pressure; he just felt that the old lady's situation was too dramatic.

From noon yesterday until now, in just 24 hours, the deaf old lady has died twice, her funeral has been held twice, and her burial clothes have been worn twice. It's truly unbelievable.

After the deaf elderly woman was taken away from the Sixth Hospital, only Yi Zhonghai remained in the hospital.

It's not that he doesn't want to go back, but his current physical condition doesn't allow it.

According to the doctor, his stroke has occurred less than 24 hours ago, which is still within the high-risk period, so he still needs to be hospitalized for observation.

His current physical condition does not allow him to keep vigil anymore, and even if it did, Yi Zhonghai would not dare to do so.

He was already in such a state after just one time. If it happened again, he might have to go with the deaf old lady.

So the older woman went back to change the deaf old lady's clothes, while he continued to stay in the hospital for observation.

The doctor said that if there were no problems by the third day, he could go back to see the deaf old lady off on her final journey.

The other people from the courtyard had left, but Cao Xu and Lou Xiao'e were still at the hospital, sitting outside the gynecology department waiting for their test results.

"Cao Xu, do you think I might actually be pregnant?"

Cao Xu thought for a moment and then replied.

"That's possible. We just didn't pay much attention in the first few times."

At this point, Cao Xu asked.

"Have you gotten your period yet?"

Lou Xiao'e was taken aback at first, then she realized what was going on.

"It's a bit late, but I sometimes postpone things in the past, so I didn't think about it this way."

The measures available in that era were far less convenient than those in later times, and unplanned pregnancies were very common.

This is one of the reasons why the population began to rebound rapidly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, to the point that family planning had to be implemented later.

Nowadays, many families with many children or those who do not plan to have more children generally opt for methods such as male sterilization and female IUD insertion for effective contraception. This is the most common method in this era.

Lou Xiao'e hadn't considered this possibility before; it was Cao Xu who, after overhearing the deaf old lady's words outside, dragged her back for a checkup.

Lou Xiao'e felt both excited and apprehensive about her pregnancy.

She hasn't had children for the past few years, and countless people have been gossiping about her behind her back.

But what will happen to the child if she gets pregnant now?

She's already divorced from Xu Damao, is it really appropriate for her to have this child?

This child is hers and Cao Xu's child, but given the current situation, is it really okay for her and Cao Xu to get married?

Cao Xu noticed the change in Lou Xiao'e's expression and took her hand.

"nervous?"

Lou Xiao'e nodded, then looked at Cao Xu and asked.

"Cao Xu, what should I do if I'm really pregnant?"

Cao Xu placed his hand on the top of her head to comfort her.

"If you are pregnant, then you should naturally give birth."

"Haven't you always wanted to have a child?"

At this point, Cao Xu pulled Lou Xiao'e into his arms.

"We'll get our marriage certificate after the fifteenth, and then you can take good care of yourself so we can have a big, healthy baby boy."

Lou Xiao'e looked up at Cao Xu.

"What if it's a girl?"

Cao Xu smiled.

"A girl is fine too, a boy can be like me, and a girl can be like you."

“In my heart, boys and girls are the same. I am not one of those old-fashioned people who favor boys over girls.”

Shortly after, Lou Xiao'e's test results arrived, and the doctor called the two of them inside.

"Lou Xiao'e, right?"

Lou Xiao'e gripped Cao Xu's hand and asked.

"Doctor, what were the results?"

As a gynecologist, Lou Xiao'e had seen too many cases like this, and she could tell at a glance that she was nervous.

"Don't be nervous, there's nothing seriously wrong with your health. You can recover with a little rest."

Lou Xiao'e pressed for an answer when the doctor didn't give her a result.

"Doctor, am I really pregnant?"

The doctor laughed.

"Based on the current test results, you are not pregnant, but you have some minor gastrointestinal issues and irregular periods."

Hearing the words "not pregnant" from the doctor, Lou Xiao'e suddenly felt disappointed.

To be honest, she really wanted a child, a child with Cao Xu, but now...

After hearing the news, Cao Xu kept looking at Lou Xiao'e.

Seeing her dejected expression, Cao Xu immediately put his arm around her and let her rest her head on his waist.

"It's alright, we have plenty of opportunities."

The doctor handed the examination report to Cao Xu.

"You are all young and healthy, so there's no need to rush. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Cao Xu and Lou Xiao'e left the hospital, and on the way back, Cao Xu held Lou Xiao'e's hand the whole time.

Just as he was about to say something to coax Lou Xiao'e, Lou Xiao'e actually smiled.

"Come on, I'll take you to eat something delicious."

Cao Xu was a little unaccustomed to Lou Xiao'e's sudden change in attitude, so he tentatively asked her.

"Sister, you..."

Lou Xiao'e shook off Cao Xu's hand and said.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Aren't you going to say anything? We're still young, we have plenty of opportunities."

"The test results show that I'm healthy, and you're even better, as strong as an ox."

Seeing Lou Xiao'e's reaction, Cao Xu stopped keeping a straight face and whispered in her ear.

Do you know what cows are best at?

Lou Xiao'e looked at Cao Xu with a puzzled expression.

"What are you good at?"

Cao Xu said in a low voice.

"reckless."

reckless?

Lou Xiao'e didn't understand what it meant at first, but she quickly realized it.

Her face flushed, she reached out and pinched Cao Xu. Cao Xu was prepared and immediately took a step back and walked backward.

Cao Xu ran backwards, and Lou Xiao'e chased him head-on. After a while, Lou Xiao'e jumped onto Cao Xu and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Her hand landed on Cao Xu's face, kneading it repeatedly, as if she wanted to mold him into a ball or a flat shape.

Cao Xu held her up with his hands, letting her ravage him.

Fortunately, there was no one around, otherwise people might have said they were being indecent, and they might have even gone back to call the red-armbanded patrol officers.